Refrigerated enclosure for making and storing ice products



Aug. 10, 1965 M, KENNEY ETAL 3,199,308

REFRIGERATED ENGLOSURE FOR MAKING AND STORING ICE PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. ll, 1963 NWlmHu CCCCCCCC m INVENTORS MARTrN KENNEY DONALD s. scoTT BY :.Ewls A wooo fw@ W. LA@

ATTORNEY Aug. 10, 1965 M. KENNEY ETAL REFRIGERATED ENCLOSURE FOR MAKING AND STORING ICE PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1l, 1963 f, f, /I ,f l, /l I, f/

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United States Patent O The present invention relates in general -to ice vending stations, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for producing ice, such as block ice and crushed ice.

ice vending stations are Very frequently located in the parking areas of supermarkets and service stations. Basically, an ice vending station is an enclosure for storing and vending ice produc-ts. A customer deposits a coin in the meter provided and an ice product is automatically discharged through a chute.

Heretofore, such ice vending stations tailed to provide block ice for the customer The reason is two-fold. Firstly, block ice supply companies are substantially reduced in number so that few communities still have a source for supplying 4block ice. Secondly, such ice vending stations were incapable or producing block ice. It follows, also, that such ice vending stations did not produce the block ice for converting the same into crushed ice.

Accordingly, an object or" the present invention is to provide an ice vend-ing station that produces block ice for the self-service, automatic vending thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved method for producing block or solid ice.

Another object ot the present invention is to provide a method for producing yblock or solid ice wherein the lock or solid ice, when formed, is packed Within a container for vending.

Another object oi the present invention is to provide improved apparatus for the producing of block ice Within an ice vending station.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved ice vending station.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from .the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FiG. l is a perspective View of the ice selling station of the Ipresent invention.

FiG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FG. l to illustrate tne ice producing portion of the ice vending station and the ice ven-ding and crushing portion of the ice vending station.

PEG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3 3 of FG. 2 to further illustrate the ice producing portion of the ice vending station.

Fl 4 is a vertical sectional view talcen along line 4 4 of HG. 2 to further illustrate the ice Vending and crushing portion of the Vice vending station.

FG. 5 is an enlarged View taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3 to illustrate the forming of block ice in buckets for crushing and the forming of block ice in bags.

FiG. 6 is a Afragmentary view taken along line 6- of FG to further illustrate the forming of block ice in buckets and the forming of block ice in bags.

PEG. 7 is a perspective View of .block ice formed in a bucket.

FiG. 8 is a perspective View of block ice formed in a bag.

illustrated in FIGS. l-l is the ice Vending stati-on lil of .the present invention which comprises a transportable insulated structure il. The insulated structure il inldd Fatented Aug. l0, llg

cludes side walls 14 and l5, end wall-s 16 and i7, a door i5, and a ceiling i9. Formed in the end Wall i7 is a suitable door Ztl to permit ingress into the vending station lil and egress from the vending station lil. The entire Structure is Vsuitably insulated to retain :the area within the ice vending station l@ at temperatures suitable for storing ice.

As shown in FG. 4, a conventional and well-known conveyor system 3G -for ice vending stations is mounted within the ice vending station itl. The conveyor system Eil is divided into two sections, each section operating independently. On the upper runs of one conveyor section are disposed bags of block or solid ice 3l and on the upper runs of the other conveyor section are disposed bags orr crushed ice 32. A purchaser inserts a designated coin or coins into a suitable and conventional meter` located at selector `area itl (FIG. l) in the end wall i6 an-d select-s either crushed ice or block ice. There upon, 4the conveyor system 30 (FIG. 4) Iis operated through a suitable motor, not shown, and control circuit, not shown, to advance .the .selected ice product for discharge through a chute 41 (FiG. l) associated with the end wall i6. The foregoing is Well-known and conventional for ice vending stations.

For maintaining the atmosphere within the ice vendio g station it? at temperatures suitable for storing ice, such as between 24-28 degrees Fahrenheit, a conventional blower 45 (FlGS. 2 and 3) and a suitable compressor 46 are provided. Conventionally, ice selling stations include such a compressor and blower for maintaining the temperature therein suitable for storing ice.

According to the present invention, block or solid ice is formed and produced Within the ice vending station il?. Toward this en-d, a freezing compartment 5) (FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) is disposed within the ice vending station lil, which compartment comprises side walls Si and 52. At one end or" the freezing compartment 59 is located an end wall 53. At the opposite end .of the freezing compartment Sil is positioned a tunnel S5 (FIG. 3). The compartment Si? includes a bottom wall 50'. Suitable sliding and removable top panels, not shown, are resting on the side Walls Sl and 52 to enclose the compartment All the Walls and panels of the compartment 5t) are suitably Iinsu-lated to maintain the temperature Within the compartment 5'@ between zero and eight degrees Fahrenheit, vvhich in the preferred embodiment is the temperature for converting Water into block ice.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6, longitudinally extending, channel-shaped shelves 6h63 are disposed in juxtaposition within the compartment 5d. The shelves @5i-63, which are made of suitable metallic material, are supported by and rest upon a horizontal plate 6d (FlGS. 3 and 6) that is fixed to the interior surfaces of the side Walls Si and 52 of the compartment Sii. It is to be ooserved that the horizontal plate 6d is spaced above the bottom Wall Sil and does not extend as far as the end Wall 53, thus leaving a space therebetween.

The compartment shelves @-63 comprise respectively bases 6in-olla. integrally formed with the base dia are upright, yieldable partitions Sib and die. Horizontally disposed iiauges 61d and @le project from the partitions 61!) and ole, respectively. Similarly, integrally formed with the base 62o are upright, yieldable partitions 6211 and 62C. Horizontally disposed flanges 62d and die project from the partitions 6211 and 62C, respectively. The flange 61e is superposed over the flange 62d. Likewise, integrally formed with the base 63a are upright, yieldable partitions 63h and 63e. Horizontally disposed lianges 63d and 63e project from the partitions 63h and 53e, respectively. The iiange 623e is superposed over the flange 63d.

Disposed within the tunnel 55 (FIG. 3) is a conventional blower 70 and adjacent thereto is a conventional compressor 70. In this manner, cold air from zero to eight degrees Fahrenheit is circulated through the compartment 50 above the horizontal plate '64 in a path shown by the direction of arrows 71 (FIG. 3) and the air s0 circulated has a return path to the tunnel 55 between the lower surface of the horizontal plate 64 yand the bottom wall 50.

Adjacent the wall 17 is a Water tap '72 (FIGS. 2 and 3) that is connected to a suitable supply of water'by way of a fitting 73. When desired a convenienthose may be connected to the tap 72. Located adjacent the Wall 14 and in the vicinity of the conveyor system 30 is a conventional and well-known ice crusher machine 75 (FIGS. 2 and 4) that converts block ice into crushed ice.

Shown in FIGS. 5-7 are buckets or pails 80, which are suitable for containing water to be frozen into block or solid ice. Also included in the ice vending station is a supply of bags such as bags 82 suitable for containing water to be frozen into block or solid ice. In addition, the Vbags 82 are suitable for holding crushed ice. The bags 82 may be made from plastic, polyethylene or impervious material suitable to contain water and ice.

In the method of the present invention, an operator fills Ia number of bags 82 with water from the tap 72. Thereupon, the operator places the water-lilled bags in the freezing compartment 50 on the shelves 61, 62, 63 in an upright position. 70` and the blower 70 are operating so htat the air circulated through the compartment 50 above the plate 64 is between zero and eight degrees Fahrenheit. The Waterlled bags remain within the freezing compartment 50 a sufficient period of time to permit the water in the bags 82 to be converted into block or solid ice.

Also, an operator may ll the buckets Si) from the tap 72 and place the water-filled buckets on the plate 64 within the compartment 50. The water-filled buckets remain within the freezing compartment 50 a sufficient period of time to permit the water in the buckets 80 to be converted into block or solid ice.

When the bags filled with block or solid ice are ready to be removed from -the compartment S0, the operator urges the yieldable partitions of each respective shelf in a direction to increase the distance between associated partitions for facilitating and rendering easy the removal of the bags containing block or solid ice from the compartment 50. Upon release, the partitions for the shelves 61-63 return to their initial positions.

The block ice 31 contained by the bags S2 is removed by an operator from the compartment 50. Thereupon, the operator carries the bags with block ice and places the same on designated upper runs of the conveyor system 30. The block ice 31 has flat upper and lower surfaces with Y substantially o-val horizontal cross-sectional areas.

In addition, the buckets 80 containing block ice are removed by an operator from the compartment 5). Such block ice is removed from the buckets and put into the machine 75, whereupon such block ice is crushed into During this time, the compressor'k crushed ice. The crushed ice 32 is packed into the bags S2 and the operator closes the mouth of the bags. The mouths of the bags are secured by tape or string and an operator then places the same on designated upper runs ofthe conveyor system 30. The compressor 46 and blower 45 are continuously operating to maintain the ice vending station 10 betwen 24-28 degrees Fahrenheit.

A purchaser inserts a predetermined coin or coins in a meter located at the selector Karea 40 and selects either crushed ice or block ice. Thereupon, the conveyor system 3) is operated to advance the selected ice product for discharge through the chuteV 41.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An ice vending station comprising a freezing compartment, a horizontal plate mounted in said compartment intermediate the upper Vand lower extremities thereof, a plurality of removable shelves disposed within said compartment and seated on said plate, said shelves being formed with yield-able upstanding partitions, a plurality of lbags lledwith water disposed on said shelves within said compartment, land cooling means for circulating cold air through said compartment over a path located above said plate and returning said circulated `air over a path below said plate for converting the water in said bags into block ice, said yieldable partitions being adapted to be urged away from one another to facilitate the removal of a bag containing block ice from the shelf supporting it. 2. A freezing compartment Vcomprising a horizontal plate mounted in said compartment intermediate the upper and lower extremities thereof, a plurality of removable shelves seated on said plate, said shelves being formed with yieldable upstanding partitions, a plurality of bags lled wtih Water disposed on said shelves, and cooling means for circulating cold air through said compartment over a path located above and below said plate for converting the water in said bags into block ice, said yieldable partitions being adapted to be urged away from one another to facilitate the removal of a bag containingY block ice from the shelf supporting it.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,219,773 3/17 Ray 62-379 X 1,940,722 12/'33 McKee 1 62-419 X 1,986,714 V1/35 Clayton 62-379 X 1,998,431 4/ 35 Birdseye 62-60 X 2,487,408 11/49 Askin 62-419 X 2,645,092 7/53 Ridnour 62-530 X 2,679,323 5/54 Patterson 62--419 X 2,964,920 12/ 60 Staebler 62-1 X ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

2. A FREEZING COMPARTMENT COMPRISING A HORIZONTAL PLATE MOUNTED IN SAID COMPARTMENT INTERMEDIATE THE UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES THEREOF, A PLURALITY OF REMOVABLE SHELVES SEATED ON SAID PLATE, SAID SHELVES BEING FORMED WITH YIELDABLE UPSTANDING PARTITONS, A PLURALITY OF BAGS FILLED WITH WATER DISPOSED ON SAID SHELVES, AND COOLING MEANS FOR CIRCULATING COLD AIR THROUGH SAID COMPARTMENT OVER A PATH LOCATED ABOVE AND BELOW SAID PLATE FOR CONVERTING THE WATER IN SAID BAGS INTO BLOCK ICE, SAID YIELDABLE PARTITIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE URGED AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL OF A BAG CONTAINING BLOCK ICE FROM THE SHELF SUPPORTING IT. 